A devoted (obsessed) 18 year old girl's views on all-things Yankees, and other random thoughts

Results tagged ‘ Nick Swisher ’

I knew I didn’t have to worry. Well, actually, during last night’s game I was worrying quite a bit. Yankees/Red Sox games just do that to me. But last night, by the time it was all over, I felt at peace once again. The positives of Sunday night were present again, ad the negatives turned themselves around. And seeing a certain someone pitch like way back in the days when that certain someone was good, that gave me the utmost sense of relief. My Yankees beat the Red Sox last night 6-4, and picked up their first of many “W’s” of the season.

Offensive Analysis: It was yet another strong offensive night for my boys last night. I was very proud, not only that they scored a lot, but they did so off such a tough opponent in Jon Lester, who surrendered 4 of the Yankees’ 6 runs. It’s comforting to know that no matter who the enemy puts on the hill, my Yankees never back down.

The Yankees got on the board in the 2nd inning, when Cano singled, Jorge walked, and the Swishalicious Nick Swisher drove in a run with his RBI double. I think this new hitting approach is going to really improve the already-solid Nick Swisher. That tied up the game at 1-1.

The Yankees kept fighting back last night, playing catch-up until the very end. The Yankees had a mini-offensive explosion in the 5th inning. Cutie-Curtis Granderson led off the inning with a single. Jeter followed that with a single of his own, which sent Granderson to 3rd base. Then Nick Johnson was hit by a pitch right in his back. I’m not sure if that was intentional or not. It may have been, because loading the bases there would create a force at every base. But there were none out, so I doubt it was intentional. With loaded bases, Mark Teixeira got an RBI groundout, bringing the score to 3-2. Trailing by 1, Alex Rodriguez came up in a clutch situation. I hoped his clutch-streak from last season would continue. A-Rod didn’t let me down: he delivered with an RBI double to tie the game at 3. Robinson Cano drove in the go-ahead run with a sac fly. 4-3 Yanks!

In the 8th, again trailing, the Yankees rallied. With the bases loaded, Mr. Plate Discipline, Nick Johnson, had a great at-bat. He walked, and forced in a run which gave the Yankees a 5-4 lead. The Yanks added a final insurance run in the 9th, when Robbie Cano hit a no-doubt home run. My Grandma was so silly in the 9th. She was begging for another run because she “is always a little unsure when Mo comes in. He is iffy.” That comment really caught me off guard. My response?

“Grandma, don’t be silly. Mariano is the greatest closer EVER! What do you mean he is ‘iffy?'”

That made her quiet.

But Grandma got her insurance run, and made it through the 9th inning just fine.

ROBBIE!!!

Defensive Analysis: There was a lot of stellar defense last night, along with some not-so-stellar defense. Derek Jeter experienced both. He made 2 breathtakingly beautiful plays: the first was in the 5th, where he made a fabulous jumping leaping play on an Ellsbury liner. He then stole my breath when in the 6th, he made a lovely stretching-reaching play to his right on an Adrian Beltre hot-shot. His error was just a little throwing error in the same inning. Luckily, it didn’t amount to anything for Boston.

Jorge Posada and Damaso Marte once again had defensive issues last night. In the 1st, Jacoby Ellsury got a cheap blooper that fell in front of Marcus Thames, (Gardner would have gotten it, but whatever) and then tried to steal 2nd. Jorge Posada flung the ball wildly into centerfield, letting Jacoby go to 3rd. Marte made a wild pickoff throw in the 8th. Actually, it wasn’t wild at all. It was lobbed to Tex as if a little girl threw it. Mark was not expecting that kind of throw, and missed it.

Pitching Analysis: A.J. Burnett started for the Yankees last night, and boy did he look good. He pitched okay, but he looked sooo goooood…..those tattoos…I don’t know what it is but I just fall for him. He was pumped up last night, which may have been why he struggled. A.J. went 5 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits, and struckout 5. He looked so good that I wasn’t even mad at him when he was stinky.

The run he allowed in the first was unearned, thanks to Jorge’s little blunder. Speaking of Jorge, I think he and A.J. cooperated pretty well last night, considering everything they went through. The big oopsy of his outing was the 2-run homer V-Mart hit off him in the 3rd inning. Martinez got to Burnett again in the 5th, when he knocked in a run with a double.

It’s cute when they aren’t arguing.

The bullpen was much better last night, thank God! Alfredo Aceves was really spectacular, continuing right from where he was last season. I guess his back really is feeling better. His 2 innings of perfect pitching amounted to him picking up his first “W” of the season.

The real star of last night was Joba Chamberlain. Oh, Joba…what a surprise! You can be dominant in relief! We never knew….jk! Joba entered the game in relief of Marte in the 8th, and inherited a very sticky situation: a man on 2nd, 1 out, and a slim 1-run lead. I prayed he would be the Joba I knew and loved way back when.

It made me almost tear up. Joba was spectacular. He struckout Beltre, then struckout Drew. Then, to my hopes and surprise, Joba fist-pumped. He hasn’t done that in so long! It was beautiful to see him having fun with it again, while also being dominant at the same time.

So beautiful….(sniffle)…HE’S BAAACK!!!

It was a fun night to be a Yankee fan. The game was very topsy-turvy, with the lead switching several times. But this time, it was my boys who came out on top. The heroes for the victory are Nick Johnson (cute!!!) for his patience at the plate, Robbie Cano for his production and that homer, and….JOBA, for his pure enthusiasm which led to success. Great job, boys. You’ve evened the series.

Tonight is the rubber game of this 3-game set. It would be very nice if my boys could win it, get a little lead over the Smelly Sox who cheat at Fenway, Oops…I insulted them again.

Tommy is my little brother. He’s a good kid. Tomorrow is Tommy’s birthday. He is going to be 15…not so little anymore.

Tommy’s favorite Yankee team was that magical team of 1998. All of his favorite players are no longer playing. Here are my little brother’s favorite Yankee players from his favorite Yankee team:

Tommy’s 5th Favorite – Ricky Ledee

Remember Ricky Ledee? The adorable little rookie sensataion? I liked him a lot, too. I remember when he got traded. He cried. And he kept his uniform with him. #17. Ledee was cute. I wonder what happened to him. He disappeared after 2007.

Tommy’s 4th Favorite – David Cone

David Cone…who doesn’t love this guy? He was such a crafty pitcher. And who is going to forget about that little perfecto he threw in 1999? Tommy and I were a little too young to really remember that game, but we’ve seen the Yankees Classics of it dozens of times. History like that never gets old. David Cone was one of our favorite commentators on the YES Network. Every time he was on, he was hilarious. He was always joking with Michael Kay, and somehow they always talked about how Cone has a wild night life. I don’t know what was more fun: watching him pitch or listening to him broadcast.

Tommy’s 3rd Favorite – Scott Brosius

Aw, Scottie. He was such a nice man. And he was so smooth at 3rd base. He was known for that barehanded grab on ground balls. I think his retirement stunned everyone. He retired after the 2001 season, when everyone was focusing on O’Neill’s retirement. Brosius was only 34 when he called it quits. Tommy was in shock when he heard Brosius wouldn’t be back. One thing me and Tommy have in common is that we get very attached to players very quickly.

Tommy’s 2nd Favorite – Paul O’Neill

Aah, the Warrior. Paul was always a pleasure to watch. Whether he was crushing the ball, or crushing the water cooler, O’Neill always made us smile. His retirement was a hard one to deal with. #21 hasn’t been worn since – well, aside from the 1 day LaTroy Hawkins wore it before getting booed out of it. The Yankees really should retire this number already. I thought they would do it at the opening of the new Yankee Stadium, but they didn’t. We’re waiting….

Tommy’s #1 Favorite Player….EVER – Bernie Williams

Bernie…oh, Bernie. He was the epitome of the Yankees. Bernie Williams was absolutely perfect. He was the nicest, most gentle soul and was a fantastic player. Bernie is a soft-spoken, peaceful kind of guy. He was so graceful on the field. His swing was so easy, and he ran like a gazelle. #51 will most definitely be retired, since Bernie has his name on the tops of almost every Yankee record list. Tommy and I, and probably every other Yankee fan, wish that Bernie was still playing. We’re sure he can still do it :)

Well, those are Tommy’s favorites from his favorite Yankee team. You might be wondering…who is his favorite Yankee of today? I’ll give you a hint: he’s crazy, just like my brother. Still don’t know?

Lol! Swishyboo!

I hope Tommy has a nice birthday tomorrow. I know he will. Me and my older brother got him a present that he’s been wanting for awhile. And no, it is not Yankee related. It’s a movie that he and I just get a kick out of:

BEST MOVIE EVER!!!

Also, tomorrow is the day that PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT FOR THE YANKEES!!! OMG! Baseball is inching closer….

Before I begin, I’d just like to give an update on my Grandma. Well, she’s a lot better. In fact, she is out of the hospital and home with my family. She’s back to her normal self: running around doing every little chore before anyone else can, like making the beds and doing dishes. She was even dancing with my dog today! Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. It’s so nice to have Grandma back to her old self🙂

Back to baseball…sort of. Nick Swisher is one of the craziest people I’ve ever seen. When I think about Swisher, it’s hard just to think about baseball. I think about clowns. And little boys. And a hot guy. Yes, Nick Swisher has a clowny, little boy mentality about him inside that hot bod. I miss Swishalicious right now.

Nick Swisher is so charming. Haha me and my blogging gal-pal Lisa have had heart-to-heart conversations about Nick before. Haha we both dig him. But aside from liking “him,” we like his performance on the field. Seriously, although he’s insane, Swish is a beast ballplayer. Last season he walked 97 times, and had 29 HR with 82 RBI out of the eigth spot! Prett impressive.

…whaaaat……lol I love this man.

I don’t know what to say about Swish. I just miss his goofiness. He made me laugh. He is like the class clown of the Yankees. He’s one of the biggest reasons why we won it all this year. Swish provided the chemistry for the clubhouse, which led to a fun atmosphere, which led to winning! I’m just going to highlight some of the most Swishalicious moments of the season.

Well, one thing’s for certain: Nick Swisher gives max effort out there in right field. Especially at the wall.

Notice how he ripped it with his cleats. He’s done that on more than one occasion.

And he’s great when …”sliding” into the plate.

Safe!

And what is with the tongue thing?

Very attractive….

But the most Swishalicious moment of the season wat obviously this:

Bottom line, Nick Swisher made the Yankees have fun this year. And he made me have fun, too.

I’m getting excited. I can’t help myself. The Phillies have won 11 of their last 12 postseason home games, and the Yankees beat them last night! No matter what, the Yankees will not lose this series on the road. Game 3 was a great game. I didn’t do anything for Halloween, it was just my quintessential Saturday: watching my Yankees win. What could be better? The Yankees beat the Phils 8-5.

Pitching Analysis: Andy Pettitte started last night, and he did a pretty good job. He went 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 5 hits, and struckout 7. He had a rough 2nd inning in which he allowed 3 runs. Werth homered, the bases became loaded and he walked in a run, and the Victorino got a sac fly to give the Phils a 3-0 lead. Andy served up another solo shot to Werth in the 6th.

Another postseason win for Andy.

The so-called “shaky” bullpen was not shaky last night; in fact it was quite solid. I have to admit, I was nervous when Joba came out to start the 7th. But he really did a nice job, pitching a 1-2-3 7th. In the 8th, it was Damaso Marte’s turn, the only reliever besides Mo whom I had confidence in. And he really dealt. He pitched a 1-2-3 8th, and struckout 2 of 3 hitters. Phil Hughes started the 9th. He got 1 out, but then served up a solo homer to Ruiz. I don’t know what to think about that. I mean, they had a 4 run lead, so I don’t blame him for throwing strikes. But when he was good, he threw strikes and struck everyone out. I don’t know. Anyway, after allowing that homer, Hughes was pulled for Mo, who got the next 2 guys out to nail down the victory for the Yanks.

Offensive Analysis: The offense did explode last night, but it took the Yanks awhile to get something started off Hamels. Finally in the 4th, a rally begun. The Yankees were down 3-0 at the start of the inning. Mark Teixeira drew a seemingly-innocent 1 out walk. Then the big man game to the plate. Alex Rodriguez, who was previously 0-8 in this World Series, looked to provide a spark for the Yanks. He hit a ball deep to right that was heading out, but it bounced back into the park in an odd way. I thought it was a homer, but they said it was a double. The Yanks asked for instant replay, and the umps correctly ruled it a homer. Yay! 3-2 now.

Is is gone?

Hell yeaz!

In the 5th, the Yankee bats were loud. Nick Swisher led off with a double. I think it is safe to say he broke out of his slump last night. Melky Cabrera then struckout, and I was like “Darn, Melky, now Pettitte has to bat. Way to strand the runner.” I spoke too soon. Andy Pettitte smashed a solid single up the middle, which scored Nick Swisher! An RBI single for Pettitte? Hey, I’ll take it! And a funky, awkward slide by Swish.

Nice.

WTF?

…..okay then,……that’s Swish for you……

The Yanks weren’t done yet. Jeet singled, and Johnny Damon drove in 2 more runs with a double! That gave the Yanks a 5-3 lead, a lead that they would never give up.

The Yanks added on 1 run in each of the next 3 innings. In the 6th, Swish hit a solo homer to give his team a 6-3 lead. In the 7th, Jorge drove in a run with an RBI single to make it 7-4. And in the 8th, Hideki Matsui came off the bench and hit an opposite-field solo homer to make it 8-4 Yanks. It was nice to see some extra runs.

This game was pretty exciting. The Yankees were down 3-0, and wound up coming back and winning 8-5. The heroes for this well-played game are Andy Pettitte, for pitching nicely and for being clutch with the bat, Nick Swisher, for coming out of his slump, and Arod, for proving that he is not slumping and for proving wrong the stupid FOX announcers. Haha. It’s Ryan Howard who stinks. He was 0-4 with 3 K’s last night. He’s a bum.

Great job, Yanks. We are so close!!! The closest we’ve been in years!!!! AAAHHH!!!

Frickin’ frickin’ frickin’ WHY? HOW? AAAHHH!!! This is NOT what I expected, NOT what I invisioned, NOT WHAT I DREAMED OF!!! (….-breathe in, breathe out-….you can do this….soon the nightmare will be over…game 2 is in a few hours….when they win, you can calm down…..everything will be okay….) -SIGH-. Okay. Obviously, I was a bit effected by the loss last night. I spent my study hall this morning writing in big, bold letters: P H U C K THE PHILLIES-GO YANKEES! I’m sorry to you Phillie fans out there. But I just couldn’t take it. The Yankees lost to the Phillies 6-1.

Pitching Analysis: CC Sabathia was not CC Sabathia last night. The numbers don’t look too bad: he went 7 innings and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and struckout 6. But I don’t think he pitched well. He fell behind to a majority of the Phillies, getting himself into 1-0 counts, which is not the way to start. He just didn’t seem right. After he allowed the first homer to Utley in the 3rd, he got a little better. Utley then hit another solo homer in the 6th, and CC was done after the 7th.

CC tried….aw, I still love you, Hefty-Lefty.

The Yankee bullpen made me almost want to commit suicide last night. (a bit extreme, but you get my point) Phil Hughes started the 8th inning, when the game was still within reach for the Yanks, and totaly eff-ed things up. He allowed 2 runs without even getting an out. What is up with this guy? He carried this team into the postseason, and now that they are here, he can’t help at all! He needs to throw strikes, get ahead, and have that confidence again.

STOP STINKING!!!!!

Brian Bruney also stank. In the 9th, he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits. This is disgusting. Something must be done. -Light bulb goes off- I have an idea! Let Swisher pitch! He’ll probably be better than anyone in the ‘pen, and as of now he hasn’t hit in the postseason, so we won’t miss him in the lineup! It’s the perfect plan!

Offensive Analysis: Well, the Yankee offense really couldn’t do anything off Cliff Lee. They couldn’t even build his pitch count so he could come out of the game. Nope, they couldn’t even do that. Lee pitched a complete game. It was gross.

The Yankees got 1 run in the 9th due to an error by Rollins. Nothing else. Just 6 hits. No walks. They looked dead, no, lost would be a better word. Watching the Yankees at the plate last night was like watching a lost puppy try to find his way home.

I am upset. I am angry. I am nervous. I am worried that everything we’ve done this season won’t matter. Am I foolish? Am I overreacting? Am I jumping the gun a little bit here? I sure hope so. As my fellow blogger Beth, and my history teacher Mr. Sayers said, the Yankees have fallen behind in the World Series before and managed to win. I know that. But I can’t help but to freak out. I can’t help but to panic. I love this team more than anything. They deserve to win.

I pray to the Lord that Burnett and the bullpen are good tonight, and that the Yankee bats wake up. GO YANKEES!

Whoa. Just, whoa. For the first time since 2003, my Yankees are making an appearance in the World Series. This is marvelous. This is phenomenal. This is…..beautiful. I’m touched. Last night was the biggest night of my life (lame life, I know….). Watching the Yankees beat the Angels and celebrate because they are going to the World Series was the greatest thing. I almost cried. The Yankees beat the Angels 5-2, and move on.

Pitching Analysis: Who better to get this win than Andy Pettitte? A classic Yankee, one of the Core 4, Andy toed the rubber for the Yanks. And he was as dandy as an Andy could be. Pettitte went 6 and 1/3 innings and allowed just 1 run, and he struckout 6 Halo hitters. Andy looked sharp from the beginning. He had that stare, that intimidating, serious, I’m-gonna-kill-the-hitter stare. And when he has that, you know that he is on. This win was Andy’s 16th career postseason victory, which is a new ML record. Congradulations, Andy. We love you.

Pure Dandiness!!!

Joba pitched the rest of the 7th and managed to get everyone out. Mariano went for the 2 inning save as he pitched both the 8th and the 9th. He allowed a run in the 8th thanks to an RBI single by Vlad Guererro, but it didn’t mean anything. We won!

Defensive Analysis: Nick Swisher has a brain. In the 2nd, Guerrero led off with a single. Then Morales flew out to Swish. But Swish has keen eyes. He noticed that Guerrero strayed far off the first base bag, so he fired to Teixeira, and Guerrero was doubled up! A nice heads-up play by Nick Swisher. That should have shut up the FOX announcers. All they talked about was how Nick Swisher is in a slump. Well, to prove them wrong, Swish had a single, scored a run, and made that great play. Haha McCarver, wrong again.

I know why he’s out of the slump! Because the Swish-hawk is back! Great hairstyle. Too bad his hat is on in this picture.

Here’s the Swish-hawk!

Offensive Anlaysis: There wasn’t much offense, but there was enough. I like the way the Yankees played the game last night. If you noticed, they didn’t hit any home runs last night. The Yankees built all their runs, and they forced the action. They MADE the Angels make the plays, and the Angels couldn’t make them.

The 4th is where the offense started. The Yanks were trailing 1-0. Cano led off with a walk, Swish singled, and my man Melky laid down a BEA-U-TI-FUL sac bunt to advance the runners. Jeter walked to load the bases. So with the bases loaded and 1 out, Johnny Damon came up. He delivered a CLUTCH 2-run single, which gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead. But they weren’t done yet. Texy-wexy got an infield single, and Alex Rodriguez forced in a run via the walk. That gave the Yanks a 3-1 lead, and it gave me feelings and hopes of advancing.

The Yanks scored again in the 8th, and the rally started the same way: a leadoff walk by Cano. Then Nick Swisher bunted, and reached on a error. Then Melky bunted, and the ball was thrown crazy! A run scored, and the Yanks had a 4-2 lead. Later on in the inning, Mark Teixeira came through with a sac fly. This 5-2 lead was enough. My boys went on to win it, and they broke out the bubbly.

I wish I was in the middle of this.

Aw, how sweet.

BUBBLY!!! Hopefully I will see one more of these celebrations….

Well, they did it. My Yankees are another step closer to the ultimate goal. The heroes for the victory are Andy Pettitte, Johnny Damon, and everyone else. I can’t leave anyone out. I’m in too good of a mood. WE ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!!!!! This is like my first post in awhile. Sorry about that. There were off days and I was busy, and after that loss the other day I couldn’t sit down and think about the game. But hey, I’m blogging now.

A quick message for my Yankees: Hey guys. I just wanted to say thanks, again. This season has been magical, and this was just another chapter of the story. Thank you for taking me along with you on this amazing ride. We are coming down the final stretch now. This is it. The World Series. It’s do or die now, boys. I know the Phillies are going to be tough. But if anyone can beat them, you can. You have my support, my prayers, my love. And as always, I will be right there with you, cheering you on the whole way.

This entire postseason has been so much fun. And last night? Just another crazy “walkoff” win from the Drama Club. I was so tired when it ended. The time on my clock as I climbed into bed was 1:37 am. I was beyond exhausted. I had the PSAT, and then that game. It was insane. The Yankees beat the Angels last night/this morning 4-3.

Pitching Analysis: A.J. Burnett was dominant. His stuff was naaaaaaasty. Molina caught him again, and mixed his pitches very well. Once again, the usually-explosive Angel lineup could barely amount to anything. They scored 2 runs off A.J. Acutally, if you think about it, A.J. beat himself last night. He’s just too good! In the 5th, things got a little messy. A.J. just could not control that curveball. There were hit batsmen and wild pitches. The Angels only got 2 hits that inning, but those hits plus A.J.’s wildness added up to 2 runs, and a 2-2 game.

The bullpen did a magnificant job last night. They went over 6 innings, and allowed just 1 run. Coke, Joba, Hughes, Mo, Ace, Marte, and Robertson all pitched last night. Only Aceves gave up a run; an RBI single by Figgins in the 11th inning. The bullpen guys were the heroes last night. and A.J., too. He really pitched a great ballgame. He received a lovely ovation when he was taken out. He deserved it.

A.J. heading back to the dugout…but he will emerge later with a pie…

Defensive Analysis: The defense was uncharacteristically sloppy last night. Jeet made an error and Cano made 2. But unlike the Angels the night before, the Yankees were able to win despite the bad “d.” Oh, and Johnny Damon made another fine play last night in the 9th.

The bad “d.”

The good “d.”

Offensive Anlaysis: The Yankees had a little trouble with runners in scoring postition last night; in fact they were 0-8 in those situations. But they managed to get the BIG hits when they really needed them. In the 2nd, Swish drew a 2-out walk, and Cano tripled him in, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead. In the 3rd, Jeter hit an opposite field solo homer to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead.

In the 11th, the Yankees were trailing 3-2 , and the Angels sent out Fuentes to pitch. Arod was to lead off the inning, but there was no way I was going to expect him to be clutch again. How ignorant of me. With an 0-2 count, Alex got a high fastball, and he smashed it into the right field seats for a GAME TIEING HOME RUN!!!!! GOD do I love that man?!!!!!!

I FRIGGIN’ LOVE YOU, ALEX!!!!

It seemed like the game would never end. The Yankees kept getting runners on, and they kept stranding them. So in the 13th when Jerry Hairston led off with a pinch-hit single, I didn’t think much of it. Gardner then bunted him over, and Cano was intentionally walked to get to my man Melky, the Yankee who has received 3 pies this year. “Stupid move,” I thought. But Melky hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Izturis’s left, and I was like, ‘Oh, no! Melky, no!” But Izturis, the same guy the stupid FOX annoncers were praising the whole game, threw to Aybar at second, and threw it wild! The ball was heading into foul territory. Jerry hustled around third, headed for home, and SAFE! JERRY SCORES! THE ANGELS DEFENSE SCREWED UP! AND THE YANKEES WIN!!!!!!!!!!

JERRY SCORES THE WINNING RUN!

VICTORY!!!!!

Jerry gets tackled by his teammates.

AND GETS THE TASTE OF VICTORY PIE!!!

It was cute seeing Jerry get pied. Even though Melky hit the ball, Jerry deserved it. It was great. Burnett used the direct approach this time. Usually, he sneaks around behind the player as they are getting interviewed. But this time, he approached Jerry head-on. He paused and showed Jerry the pie, and then smushed it in his face. Taste good, huh Jerry?

I loved this game! The heroes are Arod, for keeping the Yankees alive, the Yankee pitchers, for also keeping the Yankees alive, and Jerry Hairston, for running hard and winning it for us. The Yankees head to California up 2 games to none, and they have to be feeling pretty good about things. I know I do. These Yankees never give up. They have that mentality. And they have that Yankee Stadium Magic, and the best fans. They are lucky to have all that. And I’m so lucky to have them. GO YANKEES! I LOVE YOU!

Game 2 of the 2009 ALDS between the Yankees and the Twins was the best game I have ever seen in my young life. It is an instant Yankees Classic. This game was an emotional roller coaster. There were times when I hid my eyes behind my hands, times when I fist-pumped, a time when I cried (literally) and a time where I jumped for joy, and almost cried again. There was the time where I was laying in bed exhausted, but unable to sleep because I was too excited. There was Yankee Stadium Magic, clutch pitching and offense, and that Drama Club mentality to never give up. This game summed up my Yankees. My Yankees won this game 4-3 in 11 innings.

Pitching Analysis: A.J. Burnett made his first career postseason start last night, and was caught by Jose Molina. That was a smart, SMART decision. A.J. went 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed just 3 hits, walked 5 and hit 2, and struckout 6 along the way. This was the A.J. I love. His stuff was electric, and his wildness proved to be affective. He really pitched a great ballgame, and the thoughts of whether A.J. would succeed in the postseason are gone.

The bullpen guys were the quiet heroes of the game last night. Joba, Coke, Hughes, Mo, Ace, Marte, and Robertson pitched last night. Hughes had a little trouble. In the 8th, a 2 out walk to Gomez started a rally for the Twins. Hughes allowed a run to give the Twins a 2-1 lead. He was pulled for Mo, who served up an RBI single to Span, giving the Twins a 3-1 lead. That run was charged to Hughes. It didn’t look too good for my Yankees right about now. I was beginning to worry. How silly of me.

Marte started off the 11th. Mauer hit a ball down the left field line that fell just out of the reach of Melky, and bounced into the seats. It looked like a double. But umpire Phil Cuzzi sayed it was foul. Fine with me! But the replay showed that it was clearly a fair ball. He really screwed up that call. Why? I think it was the ghosts. I think Babe Ruth blew at the umpire, forcing his arms to point foul instead of fair. Whatever the reason, the Yankees had gotten a break. They had a bunch of bad calls before, so I guess it evened out. Mauer reached with a single anyway. Then Kubel singled. Girardi called upon rookie David Robertson to get out of the jam.

Phil Cuzzi is my favorite umpire🙂

Robertson gave up a hit to make it bases loaded with none out. I was freaking out. I was hiding behind my hands here. I was thinking, “How can they get out of this?” With Cervelli catching and Robertson pitching, I was thinking these guys were too young to get out of it. Well, on 2 pitches, Robertson got 2 outs, and was 1 away from getting out of this big-time jam unscathed. Cervelli punched his glove, obviously sensing how close they were. Brendan Harris, who earlier tripled in a run, came up. I was shaking, sweating, and close to dying. I heard the crack of the bat and was brave enough to look. I saw Garder under the ball, and he caught it! They did it! They got out of a bases loaded, 0 out jam and kept the game tied! I was in awe. It was the best relief performance I have ever seen. I was so psyched.

Defensive Analysis: The Yankee defense was great last night. They made all the plays. In the 4th, Nick Swisher made a great play. He threw behind Gomez at 2nd, and Jeet tagged him out before Delmon Young scored! The inning was over, and the score remained knotted at 0. Nick Swisher also made a sparkling play in the 9th. I was upset in the 9th because we were losing, but I still marveled over the catch.

Swish making a Swisher-ish play.

Offensive Analysis: In the 6th, trailing 1-0, Jeter looked to start a rally. He doubled with 1 out. Johnny walked, and Tex popped out, making it 2 outs for Arod. Arod stayed calm, and got a pitch to hit, which he did. Arod’s RBI single tied the game at 1. His clutch-ness continues!

In the 9th, the Yankees were trailing 3-1 and had to face Joe Nathan. Tex led off with a single. I was excited, but I didn’t want to show it. I didn’t even want to move because I was afraid to jinx them. Arod came up. I was thinking, “Him again? How many times can he come through?” My Dad was sitting on the chair next to me. He doesn’t like Arod too much. He said he wouldn’t like him until he did something dramatic in the postseason to help the Yankees. My Dad never gives Arod credit for anything. So I was even more nervous last night in the 9th for Alex, because I knew that if he failed, my Dad would go on another tirade about how Alex is worthless. His other RBI wouldn’t matter if he didn’t come through again.

My living room was quite. I could sense my Dad there, watching Arod’s every move. I was jamming my pen into my knee as I sat there. It hurt, but there was no way I was going to stop doing it. The Yankees looked to be rallying. It would have been selfish of me to put the pen down and stop the pain. Then the Yankee rally would have ended, and it would have been all my fault. Well, I wound up flinging the pen across the room. Arod got a pitch, and he hit it…….and……and…….Gomez was looking up…..the ball….it kept going….Gomez climbed the wall……but the ball….it was….GONE!!!!!!! IT WAS A MONSTER SHOT! A 2-RUN, GAME-TYING HOMER OF JOE NATHAN IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 9TH BY ALEX RODRIGUEZ! My Dad jumped up, and said, “That was it! That was his Yankee moment!” I can’t describe what I was feeling there. I hugged my Dad, I saw my Mom coming out into the living room cheering, and I went over and hugged her. We were all screaming. I was so happy, it was really confusing. I just started crying hysterically. As I hugged my Mom, the tears just kept coming. It was uncontrollable. I was crying after Alex hit that home run. It was all just too emotional. Arod did it, he came through, and my Dad admitted it. The Yankees were back in the game, and it was amazing. I couldn’t stop crying. After the screams died down, the sounds of my crying finally became noticed. My brothers were making fun of me for crying. Well, sorry! It’s not my fault! How could I control my emotions? I eventually stopped. It was the most confusing thing ever. But I loved it. The Yankees were alive, and the game was tied 3-3.

…..wow…

……….here come the tears again……

After Robertson’s fabulous performance in the 11th, the momentum was back on the Yankees’ side. Texy-wexy led off the inning. And it couldn’t have been led off in a better way. Tex hit a line-drive to left, and it got out in a hurry. WALKOFF HOME RUN!!!!!! MARK TEIXEIRA!!!! MVP!!!! It was his first walkoff as a Yankee,…..

….and got his first taste of victory pie.

I cheered loud after that homer. I almost cried again, but I managed to control it. I can honestly say that this was the greatest game I have ever EVER seen. Just, wow. The heroes for this great victory, well, there are quite a few. A.J., for his great start, Swisher, for his defensive success, Robertson, for the gutsiest pitching performance I have ever seen, Arod, for making me cry, and Mark Teixeira, for making this game one to remember because it was a win. Once again, I have to say it: I love this team. They complete my life. And when they are this good, this dominant, this special, I can’t help but to love them more. Just 1 more win in the next 3 games, and we move on to the ALCS. And I believe that if we get past the ALDS, we are going all the way. The Yankees are ready for these final steps in the journey to #27, and I’m ready, too.

Ahhh…..sweet relief….they did it. My Yankees won game 1 against the Twins. And they did it like they have been doing it all year: domination on the mound, clutch hitting, and the will to come back. I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to see the game. It was so windy here in New York. At school during math class, an announcement came on that gave us a wind advisory and said to be careful if going out for lunch. I immediately started to panic. I figured it would be just my luck if I got a blackout and was unable to watch the game. Luckily, that did not happen. I witnessed the victory, and I loved it. The Yankees beat the Twins last night 7-2.

Pitching Anlysis: C “Cy” was a beast, and again he proved why he is worth every penny. I have to admit, I was a little unsure of how he would pitch. He was known to struggle in the postseason, and coming off of that bad start, I couldn’t help but to feel nervous. But once the game began, my nerves were gone. CC did a fan-tabulous job. He went 6 & 2/3 innings of 2-run ball, and only 1 was earned. He struckout 8, and I fell in love with him again. That happens to me a lot. I love all my Yankees, but I fall in love with them again when they perform extra-well. I guess I fell in love with all the Yanks again last night.

The bullpen did a great job last night as well. Hughes inherited a mini-jam from CC. There were runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 out. But he got out of it just fine. Coke, or as Girardi says, “Cokey” did a nice job, getting his 1 batter out. I don’t understand the nicknames Girardi gives his players. “Cokey?” Seriously, that is retarded. The nickname is longer than the name! And it sounds ridiculous! Whatever. My nicknames are no better, hahaha. “Texy-wexy” for Teixeira, “Swish Nicker” for Nick Swisher,” “Leche” I didn’t make up, but I use it a lot. It is even my password on the computers at school. Sometimes I call Melky, “Lechemente” or “Leche-licious.” There are more, but don’t get me started. I’m not even sharing Mitre’s…..;)….anyway, back to the pitching. Joba got his 1 out, and Mo pitched the 9th, even though the Yanks had a 5 run lead. Whatever. We won.

Joba is awesome from the ‘pen.

Defensive Analysis: Jorge had issues last night. He screwed up 3 plays behind the plate. Now, normally I would go on a rant about how much I love Cervelli because he can catch the ball and looks damn good doing it, but I’m not gonna do that. I’m going to give Jorge a break. We won, so it didn’t matter too much. I hope he is better in game 3, since he probably won’t be catching A.J. in game 2.

Offensive Analysis: The offense was just the way I liked it last night. It was clutch and fun to watch. Trailing 2-0 in the 3rd, Jeet equalized the score with a 2-run homer. That Jeter is amazing. Speaking of amazing, Arod got 2 RBI’s last night! Maybe it was because his girlfriend was in the audience. They win when she is there. I heard a rumor that Kate Hudson is pregnant….I wonder who did that to her. (ahem…Alex) Arod, this is no time to be knockin’ up your girl. FOCUS!!! Hmm…actually, if you keep hitting well, I couldn’t care less about that part of your life. As long as you perform on the diamond, you can perform anywhere you want. Just try and stay off the back pages🙂

Alex CAN do it!!!

Alright. Back to baseball. Matsui had a 2-run homer last night. And Swish had the double that gave the Yankees the lead. The Yankees got contributions from guys up and down the lineup. That’s what I like to see, boys.

GODZILLA!

It was a fun game for me to watch. I’m happy they won. I can breathe now. On my last entry, I was upset that the regular season was over, because it is close to the end now. But my friend Buz had a great point: this is only the beginning. I see what he means. #27 is close, closer than it has seemed in years. The heroes for the victory are CC Sabathia, for showing that he has what it takes to win in the postseason, and Derek Jeter, for reminding us that he is the best.

Who in the world do the Rays think they are? What is there problem? I have lost all respect for them. What they did to Tex was uncalled for. And that ruined the atmosphere of the whole game. Poor CC. I am so mad at the Rays. I used to have a lot of respect for them, but now I hate them. The Yankees lost 13-4 last night, but that’s not why I hate them.

Pitching Analysis: Oh, CC! What happened?! The poor thing! This was the worst performance I’ve seen from CC. And he didn’t get his win. It’s so sad. CC really struggled last night. He failed to get out of the 3rd inning. CC allowed 9 runs (5 earned) on 8 hits and 5 walks. CC got into bases loaded jams in all 3 innings. He threw 82 stressful pitches. His command was way off, and he just looked uncomfortable. After what happened to Tex, I think CC’s mind changed gears and he just couldn’t execute on his pitches. Whatever the reason, CC was dreadful last night. Usually when a Yankee pitcher stinks, I get angry. But last night, I became pitiful. I felt so bad for CC. It was hard for me to watch such a good pitcher struggle like that. I was relieved when Girardi pulled him. CC was furious with his performance. After being taken out, he violently threw his glove at the water bottles in the dugout. Poor CC.

Oh, CC! I still love you. Don’t be too hard on yourself!

The bullpen actually did a nice job last night, all things considered. Albaladejo, Robertson, Bruney, Coke, Hughes, and Marte pitched. Albaladejo gave up 2 runs, and Robertson and Hughes gave up 1. They knew the game was out of reach, so they just threw strikes. Oh! I just feel awful for CC…..

Defensive Analysis: Tex made a big boo-boo in the 1st. His error forced CC into more of a jam. But you can’t blame the whole thing on Tex. CC obviously didn’t have it last night. And Tex has been superb for us this whole year. I feel bad about what those stupid Rays did to Tex….. Nick Swisher made a Nick Swisher-ish play in the outfield. A sharp liner was hit over Cano’s head and into right field, and as the ball was rolling on the turf, Swish dived for it! But he missed, and Upton wound up with a bases clearing triple. Ahh, Swisher…. Hey that’s another thing I hate about the Rays. Scattered effort. Upton didn’t try all year, and he went 5-5 and hit for the cycle last night? Maybe if he tried this year he would have had a good season.

Offensive Analysis: The offense struggled last night. They only got 4 runs on 6 hits. Melky had an RBI single (Yeah, Leche!), Juan Miranda hit a monster 2-run homer, the 1st of his career, and Ramiro Pena had an RBI single.

I got very mad in the 1st inning. With 2 out and nobody on base, Mark Teixeira came up to the plate. On the first pitch, David Price threw a high hard one that hit Tex in the hand, and he went down. I was terrified. I thought it hit him in the face. It came so close to hitting him there. It hit like off the top of his hand by his jaw, and it bounced away awkwardly as if it hit his face. I was filled with anger. How could they do that to Tex? Why? It was “retaliation” for what happened to Carlos Pena at Yankee Stadium. I think CC was pitching that day. Anyway, Pena tried to check his swing, and the ball happened to hit his hand. Pena’s season was over, but it was not intentional at all. Why would the Yankees want to hit Carlos Pena? The Rays were out of it, and the Yankees wouldn’t want to start random trouble with a respectable man like Pena. Who the f— do the Rays think they are by hitting Tex, such a nice man? That was not good baseball, that was not brushing him off the plate, that was a horrible thing to do. And the Yankees couldn’t retaliate because they can’t afford a suspension or a fight now. It was just the cruelest thing to do. Thank God Tex is okay. I don’t think Girardi is going to let this slide. If he doesn’t do it this weekend, Joe will definitely retaliate next year. I hope he does. Teach those Rays a lesson. I want to see that happen.

It was a very upseting game. CC didn’t get his win and he pitched badly, and that whole little scare with Tex happened. But I did get to see my Cervelli ♥. And the game didn’t mean much because we clinched, unlike the stinky Rays who I now hate. Ha, ha! We are in the postseason and you Rays are not! Maybe if your team actually tried they would make it, but then again the Yankees are so much better so you wouldn’t. It’s kind of weird hating the Rays. I always had respect for them. But now, now there is a rivalry. GO YANKEES!

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